AJU’s Geller Fest spotlights the arts

In a new venture into presenting the arts, American Jewish University (AJU) will hold its first-ever Geller Festival of the Arts this summer, drawing names like Joan Rivers and Gideon Raff, the Israeli creator of “Homeland.”

Running June 16-20, the week’s four events all will be held in AJU’s Gindi Auditorium at its main campus on Mulholland Drive.

Gady Levy, vice president of AJU and dean of the Whizin Center for Continuing Education, said the festival honors Bruce and Jeanette Geller, major supporters of the Whizin Center. Bruce (1930-1978) was an award-winning screenwriter most famous for creating, writing, producing and directing the “Mission: Impossible” television series.

For the last several years, AJU sponsored a screenwriting competition in honor of the Gellers, which gave awards to three Jewish-themed screenplays. This year, Levy said, it was time to try new. 

The Geller festival will include two performances and two evening discussions (with Rivers and Raff), during which, Levy said, the two stars will “interact with the audience and answer questions in an open dialogue.”

The week will kick off June 16 at 7 p.m. with an evening of contemporary dance by BODYTRAFFIC, directed by Tina Berkett and Lilian Barbeito, and L.A. Dance Project, directed by Benjamin Millepied, a choreographer best known for his work in the movie “Black Swan.” Immediately following the performance, Berkett and Millepied will discuss the Judaism has had on their work.

On June 17 at 7:30 p.m., Raff, the Israeli writer of Showtime’s Emmy-winning series “Homeland,” will analyze the differences and similarities between the American show and Israel’s highest-rated drama of all time, “Hatufim” (abductees), on which “Homeland” is based. Raff created, wrote and directed “Hatufim,” and, according to the event’s Web site (wcce.aju.edu), Geller will also address the different markets that the two shows target.

Internationally renowned Israeli singer Noa (Achinoam Nini) will perform in concert in what will be the Los Angeles premiere of her world tour on June 18 at 7:30 p.m., accompanied by a quartet and her partner, collaborator and instrumentalist Gil Dor. (See related story on p. 10.)

And on June 20, the festival will conclude with the main attraction, comedian and actress Joan Rivers. The American comedy queen will deliver her lecture, “My Life in Show Business: 135 Years and Counting.” Rivers, 79, will discuss her life and her illustrious career. Following the lecture, she will take part in an on-stage interview and take questions from the audience.

“We have been trying to get Joan Rivers for a couple of years now,” Levy said. “We are looking forward to having her share both her comedy and life story — the influence of Judaism on her long career and her take on recent events.”

Rivers and her daughter, Melissa, are in Los Angeles filming the weekly WE TV series “Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best?”

For tickets or more information, call (310) 440-1246 or visit wcce.aju.edu.